Proelia, and the Iron Golem
by MaxXimus K
Summary: This is the story of an odd warrior, a golem, and why roses are the way they are :3


The sun began to rise, beginning another easy day on a large village. The Villagers came out of their homes to begin their daily activities, for the zombies that awaited them hungrily outside were now burned away by the sun's warm rays. The librarian fumbled with his books, the priest wandered the town, which gave a sense of civility within the town, the farmers left home to watch the town crops, and the children of the Villagers came out to play. Each Villager child was constantly busy chasing each other, or conversing about their jobs that they had planned for them when they would grow up. Every child had one in mind... Except for one, whose name was Proelia. She had a different plan of her life in mind, she always wanted to be a fighter, to be a champion of the town. She was always seen as weird to the other Villagers, even the adults. They always wondered where she got the idea of being a fighter. She knew, but she never told them because people would think she was even crazier. But, she was inspired by a hero named Steve who came into the town and slew every zombie that came to attack their town. She was the only one outside, besides the iron golem who was across town, everyone had gotten indoors for safety, and zombies were closing in for their midnight feast. A zombie saw her and stumbled quickly to her, she ran to a corner in fear, but the undead horror kept it's pursuit. She closed her eyes and shook in fear, remembering stories about the zombies' slow, but brutal attacks. Just a few meters away, she heard a sound of a slash and a pained growl. She peeked, and saw her savior, who had definitely gotten the zombie's attention. The hero slashed valiantly at the undead beast, and quickly slew it, along with all around him. Steve peered at her through his twinkling metal helmet for a second, nodded, and ran off. The iron golem arrived to the scene, looked around the section of town devoid of zombies, and spotted the girl. The golem led her to the nearest door and she walked in, but she always thought of the bravery of the stranger to the town, who hadn't come back since, and she wanted to be that from then on.

The day quickly progressed and all but Proelia, who was busy hacking at a very short tree with a stick, were spinning in circles after each other to have their fun until sundown would come. Proelia, meanwhile successfully beat the tree into submission. Sundown had arrived so she ran inside a library, with her reward from the tree, and quickly knew what to do with it. She scurried to the crafting table and hastily made a decent wooden blade. She snuck outside as the rest of the Villagers fled to their shelter. Night came, and an evil aura was in the air, she looked out the edge of the village, and noticed a large horde of zombies approaching the village. Somehow, she sensed that they were a bit tougher She ran back in the village area, and decided to stick close to the golem. The horde had arrived to the village for some dark disaster. Proelia watched as the front line quickly met resistance from the iron golem, who uppercut a few zombies into the air. They died as they hit the gravel road. Proelia feared for the golem, for a zombie who somehow survived the uppercut had just struck the iron golem from behind. She spotted two random eggs that a few chickens must have left behind. She threw the egg hard at the zombie. Annoyed, the zombie changed its target to Proelia. The golem finished of the last zombie in front of him and turned around to crush the sucker puncher, but noticed the zombie rushing towards Proelia. The golem watched as Proelia threw the second egg at the zombie's face, stunning it for a second. The iron golem was stunned himself at this sight, but then saw as the zombie reached her and grabbed her. The iron golem quickly rushed to her aid, and smashed the zombie's head with his arms. The corpse and Proelia fell to the ground, and the golem found satisfaction seeing as Proelia quickly got to her feet and stabbed the zombie corpse with her small fury. She looked up at the golem, and after a pause, the golem lightly picked up the girl and put her on his shoulder. She felt glad that the golem didn't lead her to a shelter, she felt empowered, and they went on their way to fight the rest of the horde, who at this point were banging on doors. The golem punched the closest zombie into submission and quickly did the same for the next few. It threw one into the air, but with fortune, this one survived a landing by landing on a low roof. The zombie was coming back to blindside the golem, but Proelia saw, and she jumped off the golem's shoulder and critically struck the zombie right in the cranium, and it fell lifelessly. The golem and Proelia peeked at each other and quickly gave a nod of gratitude. The golem reached his arm out as a ramp, and she quickly ran back up his arm to his armored shoulders, and they repeated the process for the rest of the night. When sunrise came up, the Villagers came out and began their day as normal. The golem stood tall and watched the unappreciative townsfolk as they live as the land never had dangers. He turned his head and noticed Proelia sleeping peacefully on its shoulder. He laughed inside, and set her down on the stairs in front of the library, and walked away, now thinking of her as a worthy companion. When the sun had fully risen to its peak height, Proelia had woken up, feeling more matured. She looked around and didn't notice that the golem had gone to a different sector of town, she looked for her wooden sword, but found that it was missing. She ran around town, hoping no-one would find the damaged, stained wood somewhere. She bumped into the golem, and the golem turned around annoyed, but noticed that it was Proelia, and all was well with him. He looked around for Villagers, but they were gone to their jobs, so the golem pulled out Proelia's sword and handed it to her, and he went on his merry way. Proelia was surprised as she looked at the seemingly new sword, and felt as if she needed to return this great favor. She ran out of town, and looked around the wilderness, and spotted a vibrant red flower, she carefully picked it and ran back into town. She found the golem making his wandering patrols, and stepped in front of it. The golem looked at Proelia confused. She pulled the rose from behind her and held it out to the golem. The golem reached slowly, and took the flower, still confused, but soon felt warm inside, for no-one had ever given him anything before. She tugged at the golem's arm, and he followed wherever she pulled him to. She eventually pulled the golem out of town, he looked back, but was fine with it, thinking this was more worthwhile. She led the golem to a small, low cliff nearby the village, and they sat down and looked to the town. Proelia began to talk to the golem, even though she knew he couldn't talk.

"You know, no-one has ever even thought of doing what I am doing... But, then again. I don't think you've allowed them to do this"

They looked at each other and she gave a humored face to him.

"You know, you need a name. I'm going to call you... Egenus... I think it's fitting"

Egenus nodded in agreement to the name

"I think I understand you Egenus, you do the same dull work. Well, not so dull, but you do it, and the rest of them don't really give anything in return."

Proelia rested against Egenus and hugged to his arm. Egenus looked at her and was softly grateful to her knowing his thoughts.

"And I think that you understand my need for action because you let me fight that night"

She fell asleep, still leaning on him, still a bit tired from the other night, and Egenus thought about his life since his creation. He thought how someone so much shorter than him could already know so much, and be so tough. He let her rest, and watched the town until sunset came. He looked deep into the sunset, but remembered his duties. He as gently as a metal titan could, woke up Proelia, he knew she would wake up soon, but not be awake enough to walk fast enough to town. She knew it too, so she hugged Egenus' neck and he went as fast as he could without shaking up Proelia harshly, and arrived just in time for people to be inside already. Proelia dropped down, because she was too big to be on his shoulder anymore. The zombies started leaking in, and she was now fully awake. She pulled out her sword, and Egenus crashed his hands together, and they started getting to work. Proelia was actually able to fight on her own, and she protected Egenus from anyone attacking from behind. They together cleaned the whole town, so they started the area around it, and finished way before sunrise. They decided to go inside for this time, in a building no one else was in, although Proelia had to make a clearing big enough for Egenus.

"That was easy, but I think I'm gonna sleep till sunrise anyway"

Proelia sat in his lap and laid against his metal chest, but appeared comfortable anyway.

"Wake me up when someone thinks that messing with us is a good idea, heh"

She fell asleep, and he felt as if now protecting only her was his highest priority, so he pulled out the rose that she gave him, and then looked out the opening she made for the rest of the night.

When sunrise came, so did the villagers. There was a couple who noticed the hole in the building and they went to investigate. Egenus noticed them, and was worried what they may be thinking. He shook too lightly her to wake her up, but it was a bit too late.

"What is the meaning of this?!" A blacksmith said to the sight of a stained villager sleeping on the equally battle-stained golem. "Proelia? Are you dead?!"

Proelia's father, a butcher, overheard this and rushed over.

"Oh Notch! Why could something like this happen?!" The butcher said as he ran in. "YOU. GOLEM..." He said as he moved to Egenus and Proelia, and Egenus moved his hulking arm to shield her, but it hit the butcher, and he was knocked out, and news spread fast with the blacksmith as witness. Egenus, knew he was in trouble, so he pushed aside Proelia, who had not woken up, and ran out of the city, with people either running in horror, or sneering at Egenus for his crime of assault. He ran to the forest wilderness, he ran until he found desert, and kept running till he noticed it was almost nearing sundown he looked back as he sensed an incredible evil flow over the land.

Meanwhile, Proelia woke up, and noticed the crowd around her.

"Hey, she's ALIVE!"

"Are you ok?"

"He didn't hurt you did he"

Proelia fully became awake and aware, and she looked around for Egenus, but didn't see him.

"Where's Egen-, er, where is the golem?" she demanded, and the Villagers instantly changed their opinion on the situation, "So?..."

"Umm, why?"

"Because he is my partner-" She quickly stopped after those words and covered her mouth, but immature "ooh" and "Oh my" was vocalized by the majority of people in the back. She forced her way through the crowd until she met the gaze of her dad.

"Proelia, you have been thought to be crazy by this whole community when you were young, but to be in love with a crazed golem... Now I think you have lost it too."

"Dad it's not like that, I swear. We just fight together to keep this town safe"

"That's the golem's job, not yours. We just do what we can to stay alive"

"You don't understand, NONE OF YOU ALL UNDERSTAND! HE does what he can to keep you alive, you all just sit under him and don't appreciate him for what he is. I am his ONLY friend, and I understand him..."

And with that, she ran off to the edge of town towards the cliff, half crying. She looked back at what was now sunset and wondered where he went.

Back to Egenus, He was already running back, away from the sunset and towards the town, and almost reached the forest, plowing through creatures already spawning for the night. He thought about the fact that he freaked out... and why. He thought he killed Proelia's father, but he shook it off, and thought of only Proelia's safety. He reached the forest, smashed through forest leaves and more creatures spawning, which slowed him down. It was full hard night when he reached a point where he could see the town, and he was in horror to see the most immense horde of his life, headed to the town for another shot at a midnight massacre.

Proelia ran back into town after feeling the chill of demise flow over her. She heard everybody panicking to get indoors, and fortunately they all got inside. She began to slash at zombies in hatred, and stopped when she heard something she thought she would never hear, a door breaking. She turned and saw three zombies shoving their selves in the home, and the sounds of death inside.

"No..."

Egenus in hatred started plowing every zombie in sight into the air, but was terrified by the fact that zombies were entering homes and that the zombies' strikes actually seemed to hurt him. He knew he could have prevented most of this if he was between the horde and the town when it first arrived.

Proelia entered into broken in homes and killed zombies before they could kill the people, but there were too many homes being invaded, and she was at a loss.

Egenus continued his killing spree and killed as many as he could, the night seemed to last forever, and he never stopped fighting until sunrise started to come. The zombies started to burn, but he still slaughtered them when he saw them. He only saw a few survivors, maybe 10, 12, maybe 15 Villagers. He didn't see Proelia anywhere, and he began running around town in a desperate search. He found her at last, but not how he would have wanted... Proelia was lying on the ground at the set of stairs she was placed at by him when she was young, she was mortally wounded, and this was beyond Egenus. He ran quickly to her and shook her gently as always, but a bit more frantic. She coughed and looked up at Egenus, who was kneeling over her.

"Egenus..."

She reached weakly and hugged Egenus's head.

"I'm so glad to see you are ok... That was a good fight, eh buddy?"

Egenus was stunned by the terrible scene still, but he picked her up lightly and hugged her carefully.

"You were a good friend Egenus... No matter how tough you were, you could be caring... And now I don't care what other people think... Egenus... I love you"

She kissed Egenus and faded to her death, still in Egenus arms, still holding onto Egenus. Egenus could not believe it, he wouldn't believe it. She couldn't be dead, she is warrior. Her arms loosened off him, and he put her down on the stairs. He heard the growl of a final zombie, cowering in the shade of a blacksmith building. He looked, he glared, he charged. He ignored pillars of the building and ran through them to the zombie, he ripped its arms off, punched it down, stomped on its legs to trap it, and with blind rage smashed the Zombie's head until the cobblestone under it was sand and the zombie was no more.

He returned focus, and remembered Proelia. He returned to her, and resented himself for not keeping her safe. Most Villagers returned to their duties, and other couples returning the populous of the town. Egenus carried Proelia's body, and ventured his way up the cliff where he was brought by Proelia not too long ago. He looked at the village, the end of sunrise... He looked away, and pounded a hole in the ground, just large enough for Proelia to fit in. Before he placed her in, he hugged her, for a long time. If he could talk, he would tell her that he thought of her as a good partner, a good friend... a great hero... He would tell her that he was glad to have a friend like her, since he has never had any other friends... He would tell her that he loved her too... He laid her down in the pit gently, as always. And he took nearby stones and bricked them together as a tombstone. He looked at her sword, oh the adventure it has been through. He placed it next to her. He looked at her lifeless body longingly, he thought about her, he pulled out the rose Proelia gave her, and looked back to her... and shed a tear for her.

Egenus buried her, and sorrowfully headed back to the village. He saw the Villagers doing their jobs, and then he saw the children. He was saddened by the sight of them. Everyday he would just look at the rose he was give, and every night he would fight in memory of her.

Some days he would secretly gather roses, and visit her burial and place one on her grave. Some days he would try to hand one out to another child, to honor her. No one ever knows it, but he doesn't care...

He always keeps the rose given to her, and will always hold it until his death...


End file.
